(Business in Cameroon) – The Port Authority of Douala (PAD) has signed a new cooperation deal with Chad’s Shippers’ Council (COC-Tchad) to make customs procedures easier for Chadian goods passing through Cameroon. The agreement, signed on April 28 by PAD Director General Cyrus Ngo’o and his Chadian counterpart Hamid Djoumino, is meant to speed up the movement of goods in and out of Chad through Douala, while helping shippers understand and follow trade rules more easily.
The four-year renewable deal introduces a number of practical changes. PAD will open dedicated service points to handle Chadian transit goods and fast-track the use of a logistics zone already assigned to Chad at the port. Other steps include preferential rates for Chadian cargo, simpler processes for granting shipping discounts, and regular training sessions in N’Djamena to explain current trade procedures and the concept of transport corridors.
In return, COC-Tchad has committed to strengthening dialog with PAD to resolve any problems Chadian shippers face. The council will also promote Douala as the main trade route for Chadian importers and exporters, and work to increase the volume of goods passing through the port.
A joint monitoring committee, co-chaired by both directors general, will oversee the deal and update the measures based on operational feedback. While the agreement gives Chad better conditions at Douala, it does not restrict the country’s right to use other ports. “Douala is our natural port,” Djoumino said. “But we have also signed deals with neighboring countries to improve logistics for our traders.”
For Cameroon, the agreement is a strategic move to hold onto Chad as a long-time trade partner. Chadian transit traffic brings in over CFA350 billion—about $570 million—each year, a significant source of income for the port and local transport operators. Maintaining this relationship helps Douala protect its market share in the region, especially as competition from other ports continues to rise.
Chad has been exploring new trade corridors to ease logistical pressures on the Douala-N’Djamena route. In December 2024, it signed a maritime and land transport agreement with Equatorial Guinea, opening up an alternative route for its cargo. That move pushed the PAD to act quickly to strengthen cooperation with Chad and avoid losing ground.
The new deal also builds on a long-standing transport partnership between the two countries. It follows the 1999 Cameroon-Chad road transport agreement, which itself was based on the 1965 UNCTAD Convention on transit trade for landlocked countries.
